Topic: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

There are quite a few problems with the plot of the movie, but this fix is only for the final montage.

It could be enhanced with fewer shots. Sure, have the eulogy, the will, the statue unveiling, etc.

But these shots needed to have been removed:

1. The memorable and dramatic 'Not Everything, Not Yet' line is undermined by having the autopilot fixed months ago. So remove the reference to Fox and the autopilot fix. Or handle it more ambiguously such as a technician saying that a fix is possible.

2. Given that we have Ben Affleck cast as Batman, there's no need to include the 'handing the keys over to Robin' moments in the final montage. So remove the entire Robin entering the batcave sequence.

3. When Alfred sits down at the Florence cafe, have him look over and see someone at another table WHO COULD BE Bruce Wayne. Bale is shot from behind and there are people in front, it's not quite in focus, etc. Was it him? We're not sure. The sacrifice could have been real.

[Kevin Smith says the movie should have ended on Alfred's face lighting up when he breaks the fourth wall. The music also indicated Bruce Wayne was alive before we saw him for the final time. That's all you need to indicate he might be alive].

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

That was my feeling as well. I was hoping we were gonna get a delightful Monster's Inc ending, but then we turn around and see Batman and Catwomen chilling, and I actually felt kinda disappointed. Honestly, the most surprising part to me is that it's from the same guy who gave us the Inception ending.

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

+1. Alfred's face lights up and the music kicks in and I thought "Oh, awesome."

Then it actually cuts to the reverse angle.  neutral Boohiss.

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

Not only does Nolan show Bruce on that reverse angle, but it's a Bruce that looks pretty damn spry for having been literally tethered to a nuclear bomb at the moment it detonated. My personal retcon is that it's the ghost of Master Wayne come back to haunt Alfred. There's your sequel, Zach Snyder.

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

Zimmer's pulsating strings, swelling to that climax is just a superb cue. Like Williams' Star Wars scores, Zimmer imbues the Dark Knight trilogy with a gravitas that perhaps the material doesn't deserve on its own.

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

Rob wrote:

Not only does Nolan show Bruce on that reverse angle, but it's a Bruce that looks pretty damn spry for having been literally tethered to a nuclear bomb at the moment it detonated. My personal retcon is that it's the ghost of Master Wayne come back to haunt Alfred. There's your sequel, Zach Snyder.

Yes, he looks healthier than he's ever been in the trilogy. If you look closely, Bale also breaks the fourth wall, as a signing off to the audience. Frodo did the same thing the last time you see him at the Grey Havens. For a split-second, he looks straight down the camera and nods. Thanks for sticking with me y'all.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2183/aary.jpg

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5448/fde.gif

Last edited by avatar (2013-10-02 12:40:23)

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

The toy was kind enough to let us know that the Bat had an ejector seat , and since our hero had a chute strapped to him... Oh.

The film implies that Bruce was piloting the Bat the whole way. Real-world aircraft have autopilot capabilities, don't they? So Bruce had to have ejected himself to survive, letting the un-piloted Bat go on over the bay. Surprising that there wasn't some throwaway line/set-up moment in the first act, Lucious offhandedly mentioning Bruce's bailing-out during botched test flights, or something like that. If our hero survives a nuclear blast, either give me a hint as to how he did that or tell me what new superpowers the radiation gave him.

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

Well, yes -  the film implies he was piloting, then at the end reveals that clearly he wasn't, because he's alive.  Then you're supposed to remember, oh, right, autopilot.

Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

I think this is the "right" Hollywood ending.

I maintain that a more interesting story overall would be for Bruce to actually die. But Alfred and Selina have gotten to know each other. Then the ending is Alfred having his "oh hello there" moment with Selina NOT Bruce, indicating that Bruce did indeed die, but the consolation prize is that Selina has turned her life around. Then John Blake gets the keys to the Batcave and we know the legend will live on.

(Not that I'm not crazy about killing off Bruce Wayne. I'm just looking at it from a perspective of pure narrative, based on what Nolan constructed.)

Warning: I'm probably rewriting this post as you read it.

Zarban's House of Commentaries

Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

I'm still a huge defender of this film, and that final shot was the right call in my opinion. It's a nice send-off, it's cool knowing that Bruce has moved beyond it all, and gets to chill with Catwoman in Europe. Still to my knowledge the only comic-book series that has built a decent arc over 3 movies and had the balls to give it's character closure and a conclusion. An ambiguous ending would've been closer to a Marvel post-credits ending hinting that the character could come back in sequels. That final shot for me cements that he's "out" for good and gives the trilogy the closure it needs. It may not be as "edgy", but it's the right choice.

Last edited by bullet3 (2013-10-03 00:56:54)

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Re: Avatar's Fix for the ending of Dark Knight Rises

It would also probably help when Alfred was describing his fantasy early on, to not actually show it. I knew immediately when he was telling Bruce in the Batcave about it and then it cut to the cafe that this was going to be whole scene was going to be done again, but with Bruce actually there. If he just told me and didn't show me I probably would have forgotten it until it came back to pay off. May be just nitpicking, but that was something that stuck out to me immediately upon leaving the theater.

X-Files.

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